How giant dinos soared the high skies

Published: Monday, November 15, 2010, 12:10 [IST]

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London, Nov 15 (ANI): Scientists have revealed that the huge pterosaur dinosaurs were capable of flying and used the combined power of its legs and winged arms as 'engines' to push itself off the ground.

Once airborne, the 16ft beast - with a 32ft wingspan - could even cross-continents.

Previous theories suggested that the creature was too heavy to jump, as birds do - either from a standing start or by running first.

Dr Mark Witton of the Portsmouth University and his US colleague Dr Michael Habib used fossils to estimate the size and the weight, and calculated bone strength and mechanics.

"By using their arms, they use the flight muscles - the strongest in their bodies - to take off and that gives them potential to launch much greater weight into the air," The Sun quoted Habib as saying.

The study is published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE. (ANI)